Sky, Disney expand content deal

Sky has agreed a new multi-year movie and TV agreement with Disney UK & Ireland which it says will allow customers to enjoy the very best of Disney entertainment either live, on demand or on the go.

Sky Movies and NOW TV Sky Movies Pass customers will be able to watch premieres such as Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur and Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the first pay-TV window from around nine months after their release in cinemas. They can enjoy the Sky Movies Disney channel and all the latest Disney, Disney|Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm hits, all in HD and in some cases, 3D. In addition to the latest blockbuster movies, popular TV channels Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior will continue to be available through Sky’s subscription packages in both standard and high definition.

According to Sky, customers are consuming more and more of their favourite Disney shows such as Liv and Maddie, Star Wars Rebels and Doc McStuffins, and their favourite Disney Channel Original Movies such as Descendants at a time of their choosing. The new agreement will offer customers more Disney Channels series through Catch Up TV and On Demand than currently available, at no extra cost. Also included in this agreement are ABC Studios primetime drama and comedy series such as Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs, available via ABC Studios on demand, through Sky Box Sets.

In addition, Sky notes that over half of all Sky Movies viewing is on demand, so as well as all the latest hits, customers can choose from a wide selection of classic Disney movies in Sky’s growing library of over 1,000 films available to watch when it suits them. This includes Disney favourites such as Frozen, Enchanted, Maleficent, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, as well as Disney|Pixar hits such as Up, Monsters, Inc. and Toy Story.

There is even more flexibility for customers to watch where they want with Sky Go, the mobile TV service. The agreement means customers can access the Disney movies, channels and on demand content as part of their subscriptions on over 70 compatible devices including mobiles, tablets and games consoles. All new movie titles and a large selection of classic movie titles will also be available to buy and keep, or rent, via Sky Store.

Gary Davey, Managing Director, Content, Sky said that Sky and Disney had been working together for almost 25 years. “Our collaboration has continued to grow and the launch of the exclusive Sky Movies Disney channel two years ago has been a huge success. This new agreement means our customers can continue to enjoy the biggest blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Inside Out before they are available on any other online subscription service. They also get access to a great portfolio of family channels and a growing on demand library of amazing shows and films which we know they love.”

“With our shared goal of bringing the highest quality, creative entertainment to audiences in the UK and Ireland in ever more flexible ways, we are extending our relationship with Sky to offer subscribers our movies, series, and our channels at home and on the go,” commented Mark Endemaño, SVP/General Manager, Media Distribution, Disney EMEA. “Two years on from its launch, we are particularly proud of the shared success of Sky Movies Disney, and look forward to bringing more of our much-loved stories and characters to audiences in the UK and Ireland.”